By Declan Marron.
After exploding on the scene with their self titled debut album, the Kentucky garage rockers are back with one of the best albums you will hear all year.
With a clear Pixies and general surf rock influence in the new LP, it is one of the most unique sounding and refreshing albums in a long time. It is, as rhythm guitarist Brad Shultz said, “a breath of fresh air” differing from their first album in the sense that its edgier, more bluesy and has gained the band a whole lot more recognition.
Lead singer Matt Shultz’s lyrics are inspirational on the new LP. They criticise the previous album in parts, such as mocking the ‘hipster’ scene in the song Indie Kidz, in which Shultz lets out his best Black Francis (Pixies singer, and shame on you if you didn’t know that) scream while the rest of the band emit the sound of pure mayhem. This lingering Pixies effect continues throughout the album, for example in the song Aberdeen which seems to be purely an ode to the Massachusetts group. Listening to the haunting sound of feedback from guitars and waspy baseline, you may even forget it isn’t the Pixies your listening to.
Sell Yourself and Sabertooth Tiger are moments of pure rage intertwined with exciting hard rock and yet the album still has room to accommodate some chilled out tracks like Rubber Ball and Flow, that further bolster the varying sound of Thank You Happy Birthday.
As if these un-mainstream beauties weren’t enough, there are some radio friendly hits there too that never feel like they’ve been forced to sound that way. First single Shake Me Down has a beautiful ongoing slinky guitar vibe, and is definitely a festival song. Around My Head (formerly named ‘Monkey Song’ for its ooh ooh aah aah chorus) is similar and without being poppy its quite an upbeat radio friendly track which contains even more of Shultz’s enjoyable screeches.
If you know what’s good for you, you will check out Thank You Happy Birthday. That’s not a threat, more of an aggressive suggestion. Cage The Elephant have been described by many as one of rock’s best young bands, which is without a doubt true. And in a year where many of the anticipated albums have let fans down, this one salvages new music in 2011.
